Spring-operated winding-up mechanism, particularly for clock movements in taxicabs



June 1, 1965 s. H. WALLQVIST 3,136,514

' SPRING-OPERATED WINDING-UP MECHANISM, PARTICULARLY FOR CLOCK MOVEMENTS IN TAXICABS Filed Oct. 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 1

II R

is O /16 A 14 22 17 10 :Ei 11 June 1, 1965 s. H. ALLQVIST 3,136,514 SPRING-OPERATED WINDI ME NISM, PARTICULARLY FOR CLOCK MOVE TS TAXICABS Filed 001;. 31 1961 2 sheets sheet 2 United States Patent 3,186,514 SPRING-OPERATED WiNDiNG-UP MECHANBSM, PARTICULARLY FOR CLOCK MOVEMENTS 1N TAXICABS Sven Hfikan, Waiiqvist, Halmstad, Sweden, assignor to Haldex Aktiebolag, Haimstad, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Oct. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 143,866 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 9, 1960, 10,772/ 60 2 Claims. (Cl. 185-40) In taxicabs one is frequently called upon to alter the spring power in connection with the initial winding-up operation without it being necessary to undertake any exchange of gear Wheels or winding-up springs. In taxicabs the spring power is often correlated with the wait in a certain manner. A change of the rate with respect to the wait consequently will have to be accompanied by an adjust-ment of the spring power. The present invention has for its object to solve the above-mentioned problem and to provide a mechanism, wherein the i-rnpulsion to the winding-up mechanism functions more safely than in the means hitherto used, in which a constant reengagement of the winding-up mechanism in case of stalling of the clock movement is prevented A clock movement arrangement according to the invention consists of a spring movement with winding-up means and of a rotatable spring power outtake, and is principally distinguished by the feature that the winding-up part of the spring movement is provided with controlling members adapted to engage and disengage the winding-up mechanism to impart a definite windingup tensionto the spring for each actuation of the winding-up mechanism, wherein the spring power outtake is provided with engaging members for the winding-up mechanism for the purpose of engaging the latter when the previously imparted winding-up tension has been consumed. The winding-up part .of the spring movement preferably consists of a spring casing having arranged thereon a circular curved disk with a recess, the rotatable power outtake being provided with a cam disk presenting a projecting part, both of which disks are adapted to cooperate with the control member.

The present invention will be described more closely with reference to a form of embodiment thereof. FIG. 1 shows an arrangement according to the invention as viewed in longitudinal section, and FIG. 2 shows a section on line II-II in FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 show diftferent relative operating positions of the details comprised in the mechanism as viewed in section on line II--II in FIG. 1.

The illustrated mechanism consists of a spring casing 1 and a spring 2. The spring casing is arranged on a worm wheel 3, which is rotatably mounted on an axle 4. The outer end of the spring is secured in the spring casing 1, and the inner end thereof is attached to a hub 5. This hub is non-rotatably arranged on the axle 4, while being axially displaceable thereon. Rigidly arranged on the upper end of the axle 4 is a gear Wheel 6 to drive the appertaining parts of the clock movement such as a fiy and the like (not shown). A curved disk 8 is arranged on the upper part 7 of the spring casing 1. This curved disk is provided with a so-called shove-in stud 9. Freely mounted on the axle 4 is a cam disk 10 arranged on the upper part of the hub 5 and above the curved disk 3. The cam disk .10 is also pr-ovided with a shove-in stud 11 arranged at the same radial distance from the axle 4 as is the stud 9, The cam disk 19 is adapted to be carried by the hub 5 through a groove and pin connection 12, 13. The curved disk 8 and the cam disk 14? are adapted to cooperate with the end 14 of an arm 15. The arm 15 is provided at the bottom with a pin 16 coated with an "ice insulating covering to cooperate with contact springs 17, 13 of a contact device 19. As will clearly appear from FIGS. 2-4, the contact device 19 is series-connected in the circuit of a motor 29 adapted to eiiect the winding-up of the spring, and is provided with an axle 21 and a worm 22 for cooperation with the worm gear 3. The curved disk 8 is provided with a recess 23, and the cam disk 10 is fitted with a cam portion 24.

The .contrivance functions in the following manner:

In the mutual posit-ions of the details shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contacts 17, 18 of the contact device 19 are closed, and the motor 26 then drives the spring casing 1, 7 and the curved disk 8 in a direction to wind up the spring 2, as indicated by the arrow 25. At the same time the hub 5, the cam disk 1% and'the gear wheel 6 rotate through spring actuation, as indicated by the arrow 26 to feed a counting apparatus and to drive the clock movement. The rotational speeds of said parts are such that the spring casing 1 has a considerably higher speed than the hub 5 and the parts connected therewith. When, as will appear from FIG. 3, the spring casing 1 with the curved disk (5 has been driven forward so as to bring the recess 23 right opposite the end 14 of the arm, said arm is caused to swing into the recess. Here, the circuit of the motor 26 is interrupted, the motor being thus brought to a stillstand, which is also the case with the spring casing 1. Meanwhile the hub 5 and the cam disk 16 continue their rotation. When the cam portion 24 of the cam disk it approaches the arm 14, 15, the arm end 14 is brought into engagement with said portion 24, the contacts 17, 18 then closing anew. The motor is thus started and turns the spring casing 1 and the curved disk 8, so that the recess 23 passes the arm end 14, before the latter has come out of engagement with the cam portion 24 during the continued rotation of the cam disk Iii, so that the arm end is again caused to rest on the peripheral edge of the curved disk 8. The spring is again stretched by a revolution, until the arm end 14 is again caused to swing into the recess 23 and the operation is repeated.

In case the clock movement stalls, it is always ensured that the motor is not in constant engagement, but will always stop, as soon as the curved disk has been turned ahead so that the arm end 14 swings into the recess and the contacts 17, 18 are interrupted. Should the clock movement stall for some reason or other in a position of the cam disk .10 as that shown in FIG 4, the motor will turn the spring casing 1 and the curved disk 8 by one revolution, the carrier stud 1 1 of the disk 8 then coming into contact with the carrier stud 9 of the disk 10, which will be rotated relatively to the hub 5 and the axle 4 through the groove and pin connection 12;, 13. The portion 24 is thus brought out of engagement with the arm end .14, and the latter swings into the recess 23, the circuit being thus broken to bring the motor to a stillstand. Consequently, no further winding-up operation will take place, before the clock movement has started and the cam disk 11 has rotated by a further revolution.

In the arrangement shown it is also possible in a simple manner to impart to the spring 2 a certain desired initial tension. This may be effected by loosening the locking plate 27 in the axle 4, said axle with the cam disk 10 and the gear wheel 6 being then displaced upwardly, so that the pin 11 is made free from the pin 9. Here, the axle 4 and thus the hub 5 are turned by one or more revolutions, until the desired initial tension is obtained, the parts being then restored to their first positions. For example, if an initial tension of winding-up of two revolutions be imparted to the spring, the motor 29 will be caused to wind up the spring by one more revolution, that is to say, by two revolutions in total. The operating range of the spring will thus be between a winding-up of two and three turns. If an initial winding-up 3 e? of three turns is imparted to the spring, the operating range will be between three and four turns, and so forth. It is of course conceivable to arrange the spring so that there is no initial winding-up, the clock movement then operating solely on the Winding-up produced by the motor 20, .that is to say, on the winding-up by one revolution. An alteration of the initial winding-up is easy to bring about without any exchange of details or without efiecting any elaborate disassembly.

Within the scope of the invention the winding-up of the spring may of course be efiected in any suitable manner otherwise than by means of a motor, for instance by means of a step magnet operating in intervals controlled by the switch. The curved disk and the cam disk may also be constructed in some other suitable manner, the main point being that the cooperation described is to hand between the disks and the switch.

What I claim is:

1. A spring-operated wind-up mechanism, particularly for clock movements in taxic-abs, com-prising a spring movement having a spring, wind-up mechanism and a rotatable spring power outtake, said wind-up mechanism of said spring movement having control means to actuate the wind-up mechanism to apply a definite wind-up tension to the spring for each actuation of the wind-up mechanism, said spring power outtake comprising a cam for engaging said wind-up mechanism control means when the previously applied wind-up tension of said spring has been consumed, said wind-up mechanism of the spring movement comprising a spring casing having arranged thereon a circular curved disc provided with a peripheral recess, said rotatable power outtake comprising a cam disc having a projecting peripheral portion, both of said discs being adapted to cooperate with the control means, said cam disc being arranged rotatable relatively to the power outtake, means connecting said cam disc with said power outtake comprising means having a groove and pin connection, and said cam and curved discs having protuberances for cooperation with each other with said control means when said discs are rotated in a direction for disengagement of said Wind-up mechanism control means.

2. A spring-operated wind-up mechanism' according to claim 1, in which said spring power outtake comprises an axle mounting the spring casing the curved disc and the cam disc in common, means pivotally mounting said axle, said axle being displaceable to such an extent that when the axle is rotated relatively to the spring casing said protuberances move freely past one another for effecting initial wind-up of said spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PAT ENTS 2,318,453 5/43 Bernard 185-40 2,691,866 10/54 Marchand 18540 2,759,561 8/56 Bolsey 185-40 2,935,160 5/60 Lawson l-40 3,113,639 12/63 Koplar et a1. -40

JULIUS E. WEST, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES H, NIELSEN, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,186,514 June 1, 1965 Sven Hakan wallqvist It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent reqiiring csrrectio'n and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below 1n the grant, line 1, for "Sven H'kan, of Wallqvist,

Halmstad, Sweden," read Sven Hakan Wallqvist, of Halmstad, Sweden, in the heading to the printed specification, line 5,

for "Sven Hkan, Wallqvist, Halmstad, Sweden, read Sven Hakan Wallqvist, Halmstad, Sweden,

Signed and sealed this 19th day of October 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Altcsting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A SPRING-OPERATED WIND-UP MECHANISM, PARTICULARLY FOR CLOCK MOVEMENTS IN TAXICABS, COMPRISING A SPRING MOVEMENT HAVING A SPRING, WIND-UP MECHANISM AND A ROTATABLE SPRING POWER OUTTAKE, SAID WIND-UP MECHANISM OF SAID SPRING MOVEMENT HAVING CONTROL MEANS TO ACTUATE THE WIND-UP MECHANISM TO APPLY A DEFINITE WIND-UP TENSION TO THE SPRING FOR EACH ACTUATION OF THE WIND-UP MECHANISM, SAID SPRING POWER OUTTAKE COMPRISING A CAM FOR ENGAGING SAID WIND-UP MECHANISM CONTROL MEANS WHEN THE PREVIOUSLY APPLIED WIND-UP TENSION OF SAID SPRING HAS BEEN CONSUMED, SAID WIND-UP MECHANISM OF THE SPRING MOVEMENT COMPRISING A SPRING CASING HAVING ARRANGED THEREON A CIRCULAR CURVED DISC PROVIDED WITH A PERIPHERAL RECESS, SAID ROTATABLE POWER OUTTAKE COMPRISING A CAM DISC HAVING A PROJECTING PERIPHERAL PORTION, BOTH OF SAID DISC BEING ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE CONTROL MEANS, SAID CAM DISC BEING ARRANGED ROTATABLE RELATIVELY TO THE POWER OUTTAKE MEANS CONNECTING SAID CAM DISC WITH SAID POWER OUTTAKE COMPRISING MEANS HAVING A GROOVE AND PIN CONNECTION, AND SAID CAM AND CURVED DISCS HAVING PROTUBERANCES FOR COOPERATION WITH EACH OTHER WITH SAID CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID DISCS ARE ROTATED IN A DIRECTION FOR DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID WIND-UP MECHANISM CONTROL MEANS. 